CFP: [Medieval] Placing Poesis: The Work of Art and the Future of Literary Studies

We are pleased to announce the 18th Annual EGSA Mardi Gras Conference,titled â€œPlacing Poesis: The Work of Art and the Future of LiteraryStudies,â€ to be held at Louisiana State University January 30 â€" February 1.

We are seeking 15 minute papers or hour long panels that address thecurrent state of literature and literary studies and possibilities for thefutures of both. This conference will attempt to re-theorize the nature ofliterature and current conceptions of art and criticism, while above allpaying focused attention to the art-object, its relation to literary andcultural studies, the past, present, and future of aesthetic theory, therole of the critic, and the work of the artist. We also invite literaryanalytical papers, especially those that provoke unique dialogues about thenature of art. The theme of this conference also holds implications for thehumanities in general, especially in terms of the intersections betweendisciplines and the ways in which English departments often appropriatestudies outside of literature. The conference will offer a wide array ofpanels, ranging from those focused on aesthetic, theoretical and criticalreflections to those that consider the creative process itself.

We are very honored to announce Professor Cathy Davidson of DukeUniversity, author of the groundbreaking Revolution and the Word: the Riseof the Novel in America, as this yearâ€™s keynote speaker. ProfessorDavidsonâ€™s current work combines theory, state of the art technologyissues, and the role of the humanist as public intellectual and civicleader. Her keynote address will situate the study of humanities in ourcurrent digital age, pushing the boundaries of how we conceive the roles ofthe artist and critic.

This yearâ€™s conference will inaugurate the Jim Springer Borck Essay Prize.The EGSA will award $50.00 to the author of the winning essay and make adonation of $100.00 in the authorâ€™s name to the American DiabetesAssociation. Details concerning the award and eligibility will beavailable at the conference website.

Those interested in presenting at the conference are invited to submit anabstract of 200-250 words no later than November 30, 2007, to the emailaddress listed below. Please remember that papers should be 15 minutes inlength.